


someone woke up

by lostin_space



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Family Reunions, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-19 07:56:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22707604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostin_space/pseuds/lostin_space
Summary: Michael furrowed his eyebrows, pushing his hair out of his face to get a better look at the guy in front of him. He really should’ve known from the first glance. Jesse Manes’ eldest son was a spitting image of him.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 13
Kudos: 128





	someone woke up

**Author's Note:**

> happy valentine's day ❤️️

Valentine’s Day hadn’t gone as expected.

While the plan had been to be obnoxiously romantic all day and go to a fancy dinner and a walk, that had proved to not be an option when Alex woke up with a painful, slightly swollen stump that wouldn’t fit into his prosthetic. Michael wasn’t disappointed even though Alex had felt like he’d ruined the day. A quick conversation that it didn’t really matter as long as they were together semi-helped.

Now, they laid on the couch and Michael couldn’t imagine a different way to have spent the day. Michael was laying against the back of the couch while Alex laid on the edge, a pillow between his thighs and a slowly-melting ice pack on his leg. Alex had fallen asleep somewhere during episode four of their Gilmore Girls marathon. Michael’s eyes were closed in peace, his thumb lethargically rubbing circles into Alex’s stomach.

This was what he wanted. Maybe circumstances were a little bit different than expected, but it was perfect nonetheless. Nothing was better than laying in peace all day. Nothing could ruin it.

Nothing but someone knocking angrily on the door.

Alex jolted awake at the sound, his head snapping towards the door with a short little hum. Michael smiled and mindlessly combed down the side of Alex’s hair that was sticking up from being smushed against the pillow.

“I’ll get it,” he promised, pushing himself up and over Alex who slumped back into the pillow. Michael pulled the extremely soft blanket to cover up to Alex’s shoulder before going to the impatient person at the door. 

He opened it to see a man in some military uniform. Michael furrowed his eyebrows, pushing his hair out of his face to get a better look at the guy in front of him. He really should’ve known from the first glance. Jesse Manes’ eldest son was a spitting image of him.

“Who are you?” Robert Manes asked, face blank. So much for perfect Valentine’s Day.

“I live here,” Michael said instead of answering. Robert showed just a flash of confusion and he took a step back, checking the numbers that Jim Valenti had bolted to the door frame.

“My brother lives here,” Robert said, pausing, “Are you…”

“His boyfriend? Yeah,” Michael filled in. Robert licked his lips and nodded.

“Didn’t know he had one of those,” Robert said, almost like he was making a joke. He added a huffed laugh about a second too late to confirm that it was indeed a joke. Michael just blinked at him. Did this guy really not recognize him? Not even from Alex, but from the giant literal terrorist threat Jesse Manes had labeled him?

“Michael, who is it?” Alex called sleepily. Robert perked up.

“So he’s here? Can I come in?” Robert asked, all too polite. Michael didn’t know if that was such a good idea. While he and Alex were definitely better in the relationship part of things, they still were working on digging into childhood trauma together. Michael didn’t know much about the Manes’ brothers.

“It’s your brother,” Michael called back to Alex, “He wants to come in.” When Alex didn’t reply right away, Michael added, “Don’t get up, just tell me if he can or not.” It was followed by the clatter of crutches being placed back on the floor.

“It’s Rob,” Robert called. 

There were a few seconds of silence before Alex said, “Okay, come in.”

Michael gestured with his head that Robert could walk in and tried not to feel too disappointed by the interruption of his relatively perfect Valentine’s Day. Why couldn’t he just spend one day smushed on the couch with his boyfriend? Couldn’t they be normal?

Robert walked towards Alex with a purpose, but a casual smile broke onto his face whenever he saw him. Michael hung back a little as Robert sat on the coffee table and Alex sat up straight, the hair on the left side of his head still stuck reaching for the stars.

“How you been, little man?” Robert said. Alex huffed a small laugh, his shoulders relaxing just a bit.

“I’m too old for that.”

“Never.”

“Why are you here?” Alex asked without much hesitation, “I thought Dad said you couldn’t talk to me.”

“I’m almost 40, I can do whatever the hell I want,” Robert said, bringing his backpack that had comically blended into his uniform to the front. He pulled out a heart-shaped box of candy. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Michael watched the interaction in a new level of confusion. What exactly was happening?

Alex took the candy with a grin, shaking his head. Michael had never seen him so comfortable around one of his brothers before. It was a good thing, he thought. Maybe Robert was one of the good ones. But, if he was, why hadn’t Alex told him about it?

“You didn’t have to drive all the way here to give me this,” Alex said. Robert shook his head.

“Actually, I kinda did. I’ve been a shitty big brother to you,” Robert said and Michael froze, “I mean, I should’ve stood up to Dad for you. I shouldn’t have let him keep bossing me around. I’m sorry, little man.”

“It’s okay,” Alex said, caving far too easy. It was strange to see him cave like that. Alex had grown a lot to not accept shitty apologies. Michael didn’t say anything.

“No, it’s really not. I wasn’t there for you where you were a kid and I promised I would be there for you after you got hurt. I broke that promise, don’t let me off easy,” Robert said, looking at Alex with a stern face, “Don’t let me off the hook. Don’t be like that. Tell me how you really feel.”

“Fine,” Alex sighed, dropping the heart on his lap, “Then it’s not okay. You’re my big brother and you weren’t there when I needed you. That’s not something you can make up by just coming back for a day to give me candy.”

“I know. And I’m gonna try harder,” Robert said. For the first time he sat down, his eyes flickered over to Michael. Michael didn’t shy away from his gaze. It went back to Alex. “I’m moving back to Roswell.”

Alex visibly flinched. “ _ What?”  _

“I’m moving back to Roswell,” Robert repeated, sighing, “I asked to be relocated to the nearest base. You need someone on your side, Alex, and I plan to step up to the plate. Me and you against the wave of bullshit.”

“What’s the catch?” Alex asked.

Robert cracked a smile. “No catch. I just want to get to know you. You’re my baby brother and I don’t know a damn thing about you. Hell, I didn’t know you had a live-in boyfriend.”

“You didn’t ask.”

“I know! Point is that I’m listening now. I want to be a better brother,” Robert explained. Alex nodded slowly. “Look, I know it’s Valentine’s Day, I don’t want to crush your plans, but can we go for lunch tomorrow?”

Alex ran his hand through his hair, making it all stand up in different directions. Michael bit on his bottom lip to hold back his smile‒that would just ruin the tone.

“I don’t know if I’m gonna be exactly… mobile tomorrow,” Alex said. Robert nodded in understanding.

“Well, text me? I want to talk about everything,” Robert said. Alex nodded. 

“Okay.”

Michael watched the two brothers hug it out and share a few whispered words before Robert headed back towards the door. Michael followed so he could lock it behind him. As they reached the door, Robert turned to him.

“You and Alex… You love him?” Robert asked. Once upon a time, that would’ve been hard to admit to a Manes brother. Today, Michael nodded firmly. “Good. Don’t let him forget.”

“Same to you.”

Robert sighed and nodded, “That’s the goal.”

Michael waited until Robert was gone before he locked the door again. Michael made his way back into the living room and saw Alex sitting on the couch, staring down at the unopened box of chocolates. He hovered beside the couch, scared that maybe they couldn’t go back to the way they were before. He knew Alex, he knew there was a chance he’d be irritable all day and wouldn’t want to just cuddle all day. 

“So,” Michael said, breathing out a heavy breath of air and trying to hold back the urge to comb down Alex’s hair, “You okay?”

“I’m…” Alex sighed, looking up at him with his tired eyes, “I’m okay.” 

“You sure? Wanna talk about it?” Michael asked, running his hand over the back of the couch. Alex shrugged.

“What’s there to talk about? He said he’s trying to be better.”

“I mean, your brother is coming back to Roswell. That’s something to talk about,” Michael pointed out. Alex broke eye contact, swallowed, and then looked back up at him again with those pleading eyes. Michael remembered a time whenever that look confused him. Now, he just sat on the couch and Alex leaned into him.

“After my mom left and she still saw us on holidays, she’d always get us stuff like this,” Alex said, holding up the box before just tossing it onto the coffee table, “She had no idea what we liked, so she got us something non-specific as, like, a way to guilt us, I think. If we got upset at her for something, she’d say she tried and we were ungrateful and stuff. But Rob used to bring us all outside afterward and we’d shoot them with BB guns.” Alex snorted. “He brought it for me to take my anger out on it.”

Michael shook his head lightly and tugged Alex closer. “So, what’s the plan? You gonna try to make up with him?”

“I’m gonna… see what happens, I guess,” Alex admitted. Michael nodded and pressed a kiss to his unruly hair.

“Well, I’ll be right here the whole time.”

“Thank you,” Alex said genuinely, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> also on my tumblr: spaceskam


End file.
